County GovernmentCounty Government
• Georgia has 159 counties, nearly 600 towns – each has a government
• county: subdivision of a state set up for certain governmental functions
• most Georgia counties are run by an elected Board of Commissioners
• most counties are set up in a similar manner
Sharing ServicesSharing Services
• Some city and county governments share services
• Fulton County is home to city of Atlanta
• Fulton County and city of Atlanta share zoning duties and library system
• Fulton and DeKalb counties share a hospital authority
• Fulton County and the City of Atlanta have separate school systems
Officials in County GovernmentOfficials in County Government
• Most counties have the following elected officials:– commissioners, superior court clerk, probate
court judge, sheriff, tax commissioner, coroner
• Many officials are appointed:– county clerk, fire chief, road supervisor,
emergency management director, attorney, planning and building inspector, etc.
• Larger counties have more officialsClick to return to Table of Contents.
City GovernmentCity Government
• municipality: a city with its own government• city receives charter from state legislature• city charter explains what the city
government can do – police protection, maintain streets and sidewalks,
license businesses, control traffic, provide water and sewerage
• some city charters allow for a city-run school system
Forms of City GovernmentForms of City Government• Mayor-Council: most common in Georgia
– elected council, elected mayor– weak-mayor system: mayor has little power, figurehead– strong-mayor system: mayor has power to run the city,
propose budget, can veto council
• Council-Manager– voters elect council members– mayor may be elected or appointed– council hires city manager for day-to-day operations of
the city
• City Commission– voters elect commissioners– commissioners form department heads of the city– mayor chosen by the commissioners
City-County GovernmentCity-County Government
• some city and county governments merge when the region becomes more urban
• can reduce the cost of government• Examples
– Athens-Clarke County– Columbus-Muskogee County– Augusta-Richmond County
Special Purpose Disticts
• Created for a specific job or task
• Within certain guidelines, these districts are self-governing
• Examples– school districts – MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority) – Public Housing Authority– Georgia Ports Authority
Funding Local Government• Sources of funding include state and federal
grants and taxes on citizens• ad valorem taxes: taxes paid based on the value
of the property• user fees: paid by the user of the service• sales tax: added to purchases made in the city or
county– general purpose local option sales tax: tax for general
use– special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST):
approved by voters, adds sales tax to fund special projects such as parks or schools
• bond issues: a way for governments to borrow money; interest must be paid on the bonds
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